Butchart takes evasive action to stay on his feet and join Farah in 5,000m final

Dunblane’s Andy Butchart laughed when asked if he had ever run a steeplechase before and replied “never in my life”.

The Scot had to do a bit of impromptu hurdling during his comfortable qualification for Saturday’s 5,000m final when he will line up in Mo Farah’s last ever race on the track.

Farah was already through after cruising home second in the opening heat at a rainlashed London Stadium last night when, just after halfway through the second, Butchart had to take evasive action when Olympic champion Paul Chelimo of the United States tumbled, taking Josphat Menjo with him and the Scot had to negotiate the prone Kenyan.

“I just remember Chelimo falling down. Luckily my hamstrings are quite springy and I managed to stay off the ground,” said Butchart, who was delighted to make another big final after his impressive sixth placing at last year’s Rio Olympics.

The Scot had the luxury of jogging in as it became clear that the second heat was markedly faster than the first race and seventh in 13:24.78 was more than enough required.

Farah, meanwhile, said he had recovered well from the exertion, emotion and argy bargy of last Friday’s 10,000m and expressed cautious optimism that he can round off his track career in perfect style on Saturday night.

After coasting home behind heat winner Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia, the ten-time major global gold medallist said: “I’m cold. It’s miserable out there, but job done. I had to get back into some kind of running again. The 10k did take a lot out me. I was definitely beaten up but I’m glad I’ve come through and I’m ready for the final.”

The home team’s struggles for medals simply adds to the voracious appetite for one more piece of Farah magic on the track.

“It ain’t easy,” he said. “You’ve seen it with Usain Bolt, it happens in sport. Nobody’s going to give it to you no matter who you are.

“It would be pretty amazing to finish with gold and making another bit of history, but at the same time you can’t take anything for granted. They’re coming for me, they’re hungry. You could see it in that heat, they wanted to make a point. But I’m going to do it.”